Thursday, September 24, 2015

And the Decision Is......

While we were agonising over which apartment to rent, the decision got made for us! The owners of apartment 2 decided to sell, instead of rent it.

And it's funny, as soon as they said that, we agreed that apartment 1 actually felt more like home for us. (I know, that's what you all thought as well!!!) So we'll be moving soon!

In the meantime, here's a peek at the new neighborhood.
Street view - complete with dedicated bike/scooter lane! And yes, the tram noise will probably take some getting used to.

Oh and we checked, the bar next door is open until midnight on weeknights and 3 am on the weekends. Yikes! But the apartment owner has installed top quality windows that drown out a lot of noise, so at least in the cold weather months it should be fine.

The Museumplein is just around the corner. This is the home to the top museums in Amsterdam. The Stedelijk is the modern art museum. It's nicknamed 'the bathtub' - ha ha, can you tell why??? The Van Gogh Museum is next to it and they are in the final stages of finishing the new entrance, which is the big round building you see in the photo. And finally, the amazing Rijks Museum, full of Golden Age Dutch artists like Rembrandt and Vermeer.

On the other corner is the US Consulate General - which I hope to never need, but find oddly comforting!

Rijksmuseum

And at the other end of the Plein (aka Square) is the world famous Concertgebouw. Which has a steady stream of amazing concerts, every day of the week. We do feel a bit guilty that this is where we will walk our dog Daphne to do her business every day - but hey, she needs grass!

Laurel at SoPo Cottage

About Us

I have a passion for renovating old houses. And after 30 years in the corporate world, I want to see if I can turn that passion into a business model. My own version of Corporate to Creative! Am I crazy?Maybe, but I want to give it a try.And with the help of some fantastic craftsmen, I’ll share our experiences as we restore, renovate and decorate these houses for today’s modern lifestyle.